The sporty side of BMW 'i' - i8 pictures and specifications - All wheel drive and targets of 350 horsepower

The sporty side of BMW 'i' - i8 pictures and specifications - All wheel drive and targets of 350 horsepower

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The sporty side of BMW 'i' - i8 pictures and specifications - All wheel drive and targets of 350 horsepower

The i3 does not exactly get us excited as enthusiasts. The i8 on the other hand is supposed to be the exciting and fun to drive BMW 'i' car. Power to the front wheels will be from a modified i3 electric motor. The rear wheels will get power from a direct injected 1.5 liter likely turbocharged motor. The electric and internal combustion motors combined should be good for 350 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque in AWD mode which should provide sub 5 second 0-60 times.

The car can be used in full electric mode in FWD for about 20 miles. The car will likely also be able to just use rear wheel drive as well with just the 1.5 liter motor. It should be fairly quick with a curb weight under 3300 pounds.

So this is the new green, sporty side of BMW. This car has potential and to be honest we look forward to seeing these cars tuned. The 1.5 liter turbo motor combined with some tweaks to the electric motor as well should make for a very interesting yet eco-friendly platform. Unlike the i3, this may be something for performance enthusiasts to get excited about. Just don't expect to see this thing putting out huge horsepower numbers.

Out of all places in the US, the new BMW i3 and BMW i8 make an appearance in our hometown, Chicago. The folks over at KickingTires spotted the two and first BMW electric vehicles during preparations for a commercial shoot.

The first TV commercial was filmed in Vancouver, British Colombia, but now it seems that BMW is taking over Chicago for another exciting shoot. Among the people spotted in the photos below are several BMW i engineers and product managers that we met at different events in the past.

BMW i3 and i8 made their world debut two weeks ago in Frankfurt, just weeks before the public debut at Frankfurt Auto Show.

The i3, previously known as Megacity Vehicle, is based around a light CFRP body structure and rides on a predominantly aluminum chassis. The i3 produces 168 horsepower and 184lb ft of torque, and it has a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 s. BMW i3 measures 3845mm in length, 2011mm in width and 1537mm in height. The plug-in system is a compact electric motor mounted over the rear axle. It draws energy from the battery to provide drive to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

At 349 horsepower and nearly 80 mpg fuel consumption, the BMW i8 will set a benchmark in the performance segment. BMW says the i8 runs a 0-62mph in just 4.6 sec – 0.3 sec faster than the M3 Coupe. Initially previewed by the Vision EfficientDynamics (Vision ED) concept back in 2009, the super-sporty two-door i8 has already undergone two years of intensive development. The major change is a new 1.5 liter petrol engine replacing the initial diesel unit of same capacity. The engine is mounted at the rear and drives via a dual-clutch gearbox.

BMW i8 measures 4632mm in length, 1955mm in width and 1280mm in height, comparable to the 3 Series coupe in dimensions.

It is possible that the electric motor and gas engine are de-coupled. You can have this, as long as both of these powerplants are producing positive torque to the front and rear axles respectively, they can work together and not have to be connected to eachother via a drivetrain. On the other hand if one of them is not producing positive torque, it will be dragging the other. I am sure they are designed to work together or separately if need be.

I think it's an interesting solution to the weird (Prius, Insight, etc) genre of hybrids available. It's got an unusual look without sacrificing a sporty appearance. I'm excited to see these driving around.

I think it's an interesting solution to the weird (Prius, Insight, etc) genre of hybrids available. It's got an unusual look without sacrificing a sporty appearance. I'm excited to see these driving around.

It definitely is more exciting than a Prius but there is much more potential in there with a real motor.

this car is a waste of resources... by the time youve recovered any increases in fuel efficiency you basically raped the earth by producing sophisticated electronics and lithium batteries. Its all bull$#@! propaganda. The green hybrid cars arent green, they save gas at the pump but not at the assembly plant. All the electronics and batteries are extremely toxic to produce and dispose of.

this car is a waste of resources... by the time youve recovered any increases in fuel efficiency you basically raped the earth by producing sophisticated electronics and lithium batteries. Its all bull$#@! propaganda. The green hybrid cars arent green, they save gas at the pump but not at the assembly plant. All the electronics and batteries are extremely toxic to produce and dispose of.

Of course, but I'm sure there are proper disposal procedures. You can't just create the energy out of thin air and the batteries are what make it all work. People just see MPG.